Yamaha YXZ1000R Claims Three of Top Ten Positions at King of the Hammers

Posted on February 13, 2018

CJ Greaves Earns $5,000 bLU cRU Bonus as Top Finishing YXZ1000R

CJ Greaves set the 2nd fastest qualifying time, bested only by his Dad Johnny Greaves

Kennesaw, Ga. – February 13, 2018 – Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, announces Yamaha factory-supported and bLU cRU racer CJ Greaves, along with his father, veteran off-road racer Johnny Greaves, and Kyle Anderson were among the few competitors who completed the grueling King of the Hammers (KOH) UTV Race on Wednesday, piloting Yamaha’s pure sport YXZ1000R side-by-side (SxS) before time expired. As the top finishing YXZ1000R driver with a solid 5th overall, CJ Greaves was awarded $5,000 for the Yamaha bLU cRU racing bonus.

Johnny Greaves blasting past Race Mile 57

The KOH UTV race, held annually in Johnson Valley, California, is known to be among the toughest one-day off-road races in the world, this year with only 12 UTV racers finishing out of the starting 115. It is the largest off-road racing event in North America in terms of both competitors and spectators, combining intense desert racing and daunting rock crawling.

CJ Greaves on Jack North at Race Mile 91 in 3rd Place

“The sheer attrition alone witnessed at King of the Hammers is a true testament to Yamaha’s Proven Off-Road performance – of the eight Yamahas in a field of 115 UTV entries, the YXZs still made up a quarter of those who actually finished,” said Donnie Luce, Yamaha’s off-road racing coordinator. “Furthermore, qualifying first and second, successfully completing the course, and securing the bLU cRU bonus – all in their first year at KOH – is evidence of the Greaves’ incredible talent as drivers, as well as the YXZ’s versatility, capability, and durability when pitted against the toughest terrain in racing.”

Although this was the first year the Wisconsin natives raced KOH, both CJ and Johnny Greaves are veteran off-road racers known for their short-course dominance in The Off-Road Championship (TORC) Series in the Pro 2 and Pro 4 truck classes. CJ is also the defending champion of the TORC Series Pro Stock UTV class, entering his second year as a Yamaha factory-supported racer aboard his Monster Energy Mutant Super Soda / Maxxis / Greaves Motorsports YXZ1000R.

Kyle Anderson making his way through the rocks on his way to a top 10 finish.

Some of the action from #KOH2018 on Jack North at about Race Mile 91. Casey Peoples in the RZR, Phil Blurton in the X3 and Kyle Anderson in the YXZ1000R (sorry thought it was Jason while shooting). The ability to adapt to trail blockage can be huge. Anderson would finish 9th and Blurton would get 8th. Peoples would DNF but in 17th place out of 118. Only 12 UTVs would finish in allotted time.Full race report at: http://www.utvguide.net/2018-can-king-hammers-utv-race-recap/

The Yamaha YXZ1000R is the world’s only pure-sport SxS, providing unmatched direct-connection between driver and machine. Powered by an industry-first three-cylinder 998cc engine and five-speed manual transmission, the versatile YXZ1000R offers superior off-road capability, comfort and confidence in even the most difficult of terrain, including open desert, woods, and advanced rock crawling environments.

Jason Weller had done his homework and was well prepared after days of pre-running. Unfortunately a freak mechanical would cause a DNF.

Every Yamaha SxS is proudly built at Yamaha’s state-of-the-art U.S. factory in Newnan, Georgia, for worldwide distribution.

A post shared by UTVGuide.net (@utvguide) on Feb 4, 2018 at 8:15am PST

About Yamaha Motor Corp., USA

Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the powersports industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATVs and Side-By-Side Vehicles, Snowmobiles, Outboard Motors, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of dealers in the United States.

Headquartered in California since 1960, YMUS also has facilities in Wisconsin and Georgia, as well as factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. For more information about Yamaha, visit www.YamahaMotorsports.com.